Impact assessment by beneficiaries: In practice Case Study from monitoring rural access interventions in Rathnapura, Sr

1. Mansi Kumarasiri Centre for Poverty Analysis www.cepa.lk Impact assessment by beneficiaries: In practiceCase Study from monitoring rural access interventions in Rathnapura, Sri Lanka

2. Outline • The theory and rationale for use • Background to the use of the methodology • Learnings to take forward • Selection of tool • Selection of Monitoring Team • Community participation • Role of external monitor • Conclusion

3. The Theory “…is an approach of information gathering which assesses the value of an activity as it is perceived by its principal users.” Lawrence F. Salmen in Beneficiary Assessment and approach described • Assessment of impact by its beneficiaries. • Tools: Observations, Discussions • Mostly Qualitative

4. Background - The intervention • Rural Access Pilot Interventions • Objective – to reduce poverty in communities where development is constrained by access bottlenecks • Participatory implementation • Collaboration of SIDA, Practical Action and CEPA • CEPA role • Community identification • Monitoring & Evaluation

5. Background – The communities • Implemented in 3 communities in Rathnapura District. • Agriculture-based economies • Tea/Rubber small holding • Paddy • Vegetable cultivation • Each village has between 30 - 70 households • Already exposed to development projects and working through CBOs • Economic potential constrained by lack of access

6. Background – The monitoring • Why assessment by Beneficiaries? • Complement the participatory implementation • Immediate identification of problems and solutions • Cost effectiveness – greater proportion of the budget to be spent on intervention. • How • In each site, three groups used three different tools • Methodology support by CEPA

8. Lessons Learnt • Selection of tool • Selection of Monitoring Team • Community participation • Role of external monitor

9. Selection of Tool • Tools: Impact tables – Structured Group Diary - Free flow writing Spider Web - Visual • Matching tool to need In addition, • Use community profile and characteristics as basis for tool identification • Use multiple tools of different nature.

10. Who was involved It was easy to travel on the road once it was cleared. Status Activity Completed Clearing the road Every 100m was given to each household. • Most people participated in the activity. • Some people were conventional and believed that this road is going to be failure. They didn’t participate Unexpected Impacts Expected Impacts Field Of Impact The culvert upper end of the road has been broken due to the movement of the heavy vehicles in the construction period. During rainy days it is difficult to use the culvert. This has divided two blocks in the village, and reduced the harmony in the village. Convenience to day to day activities Vehicles can now easily come to the village because the road condition is better. More tea collector lorries are coming. Benefits the tea cultivators in the village Selection Of tools: Example of impact tables Table - Process Table -Impact

11. Selection of Tools: Example of Group Diary Convenience for day to day transport related activities: Now the three wheelers can go to the end of the village, the number of three wheelers that come to the village has increased. Earlier they used to stop at the beginning of the road. This is very helpful when there are functions and emergency situations like funerals or illness. Convenience for Economic activities: Earlier people used to wait till late for the leaf lorry. If it doesn’t come that day they have to wait till the next day to give leaf sacks. By which the leaves are crushed and not in a condition to sell. Now the leave lorries come during 3-4 because the road is easy to take and the people get good rates for their tea because the leaves go to the factory fresh.

12. Selection of tools: Example of Spider Web Education Infrastructure Employment opportunities Unexpected Negative Impacts Unexpected Positive Impacts Less expenses Increase income Heath

13. Selection of Monitoring Team In addition to being volunteers: • should be complemented by commitment and ability to respond to a given tool • Eg: literate, articulate for group diary

14. Community participation • Beneficiary Assessment is more conducive where beneficiaries take part in implementation (+) More opportunities to share monitoring findings, thus project steering. (-) Less priority for monitoring, due to pressure of completing the implementation • Trade off between implementers and monitors • Informal feedback for the implementation

15. Role of External Monitor • Facilitate channels to ensure the flow of monitoring information for project steering • Regular observation, backstopping support, feed back and facilitation on monitoring process.

16. The larger picture • When is it appropriate – what is apprppriate? • Monitoring backstopped by an external evaluator – where do you draw the line? • Information for project steering can be informal/invisible. Does it matter?

17. Thank You